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One of my goals while on my island was to learn a local dish from a local person. I haven't gotten the chance to have somebody over at my place, but I have talked to a few people. This first dish is curried green fig.
Green figs (bananas) and breadfruit are used as a staple starch and taste like potato when cooked. They each have a slightly different flavor, so try it a couple of times before making a huge batch. I actually prefer my potatoes, but my co-worker suggested I hadn't had it prepared just right. Enter curried green fig recipe:
Curried Green Fig
Makes for 4 and some leftovers.
Ingredients:
4Tbs cooking oil
4Tbs curry powder
1tsp oregano
1tsp cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 small or 1 large onion, chopped
1/2c water
1 can (400mL)coconut milk (or coconut powder mixed with water to form about 400mL)
1Tbs jam (or jelly-grape, orange, strawberry, whatever)
1 large carrot, chopped (bite-sized disks)
4 green figs (green banana), chopped (bite-sized disks)
1 can/tin of salmon
salt to taste
cilantro to garnish if you fancy
Serve over steamed rice; or eat as is if that's too much starch for ya ;)
Instructions:
Heat cooking oil in skillet. Add curry powder, oregano, cumin and garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add the onion, cover the pot, and sautee until the onion is cooked down.
Add the water, coconut milk and jam--stir to combine the flavors.
Add the carrot and green fig. Cook until the fig breaks easily with a fork (like a cooked potato).
Add the tin of salmon (I added juice and all).
Add salt to taste.
***
Fun facts:
Green fig (bananas) will ripen if left long enough (the ones picked too early may not ripen). I-tal food is the strict (vegetarian/vegan) diet of the Rastafari and often includes coconut milk as a main ingredient. To make your i-tal food taste awesome, you can make your own coconut milk. You may be able to purchase coconuts at your local grocer. You want the 'older' coconuts that have a thick layer of hard meat. You do not want the 'jellies' that you suck down at the local market/swap meet.
Crack the coconut (drink the water if possible) and spoon out the meat.
Grate the meat into a large bowl.
Strain the grated coconut through a cheesecloth.
BAM! Cook with the milk. The grated stuff is now waste. I have seen it rubbed into the skin as a moisturizer before discarding.
I did not take the photo above. . . because I ATE my curried green fig!
